Combination buccal tube molar pad and hook

ABSTRACT

A combination buccal tube molar pad and hook integrally formed, and including an attaching flange for attaching to a tooth band, a buccal tube mounting plate, and a hook arranged at the gingival side of the plate.

O Umted States Patent 1151 3,639,986 Kesling Feb. 8, 1972 |54| COMBINATION BUCCAL TUBE MOLAR I56] References Cited PAD AND "0 K v 0 UNITED STATES PATENTS I72] La 1 481 86l 1/1924 Eaton ..32/14 A 46350 2,257,069 9/1941 Peak ..32/14 A 2 Filed: I 1 970 3,119,182 1/1964 Miller et 3| ..32/|4 A 211 App]. 116.: 311,045 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock v 3 Attorney-Kinzer, Dom &Zickert 1-1521, U.S. c1. ..32/l4A 57 ABSTRACT [51] llftu v 7/00 A combination buccal tube molar pad and hook integrally F eld I ..32/l4 formed and including an attaching flange for attaching to a tooth band, a buccal tube mounting plate, and a hook arranged at the gingival side of the plate.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures rmmmm m 3.639386 INVENTOR PETER C. KESLI NG ATTOR NEYS COMBINATION BUCCAL TUBE MOLAR PAD AND HOOK This invention relates in general to an orthodontic appliance, and more particularly to a combination molar pad and hook to be used in connection with a buccal or molar tube.

A buccal or a molar tube is used for anchoring the distal end,

of an arch wire, and when a hook is mounted adjacent the tube, the hook is employed for anchoring an elastic thereon to apply a desired force in treatment. Heretofore, buccal tubes have been mounted on molar or buccal pads which are in turn attached to tooth bands. Hooks for elastics are sometimes mounted on the molar pad adjacent to the buccal tube and when integral with the tube they usually extend buccally of the tube and pad. In such an arrangement, it is necessary to assemble three parts, the molar pad, buccal tube and hook. Difficulty is sometimes encountered where the hook is not properly soldered and it comes loose, for it is then necessary to remove the entire molar band having the molar pad and buccal tube assembly for repair of the hook mounting.

The present invention obviates the above difficulties in that the molar pad and hook are integrally formed and the buccal tube is secured to the combination molar pad and hook thereby presenting only two parts that are secured together and thereafter attached to a molar band. Inasmuch as the hook is integral with the pad, it will not come loose. Further, with the present invention, less time and effort is involved in making the buccal tube assembly, and thereafter mounting it on a molar band.

Heretofore, it has been usual to provide a hook integral with a buccal tube, but in doing so, it has always been necessary to position the hook at one of the ends of the buccal tube thereby positioning the point of pull or force from the elastic too far forward or rearward on the tube. The force then tends to lift either the mesial or distal side of the tooth occlusally to the extent that other corrective action is required at a later time.

The combination molar pad and hook of the present invention overcomes the above problem by enabling the buccal tube to be placed at any location along the molar pad during attachment thereto, thereby permitting the hook to be centrally located relative to the buccal tube, thereby eliminating the tipping problems heretofore encountered which necessitate further corrective action.

Moreover, in the case of the heretofore known arrangement where the hook is integral with the tube, in order to avoid the elastic from striking the arch wire as it passes upward and forward, the hook is directed buccally and will irritate the checks.

The combination molar pad and hook of the present invention includes a hook portion as extending gingivally and bent buccally only sufficiently so that it will miss the gum when the band with the buccal tube assembly is mounted onto a tooth. Otherwise, the hook does not extend buccally, therefore the hook will not irritate the cheek, and will not be susceptible to being struck which might knock the pad loose.

The combination buccal tube molar pad and book of the invention is formed so that it may receive either round or flat oval buccal tubes. It includes an attaching or welding flange occlusally positioned for attachment to a molar band, a hook gingivally positioned, and a mounting plate for the buccal tube intermediate the welding flange and hook. The mounting plate is formed so that the buccal tube may be arranged between it and the band, and the hook extends gingivally of the buccal tube and slightly buccally. The buccal tube may be attached to the mounting plate at any place therealong in order to provide full versatility of mounting the buccal tube assembly onto a molar band so that the hook may be located on the tube where desired to place a force of an elastic centrally of the tooth, thereby not subjecting the tooth to any undesirable forces that would necessitate later corrective action.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a combination buccal tube molar pad and hook where the hook is integral with the molar pad, and allows placement of the tube at any location along the pad so that the hook can be in a desired location on the tooth.

Another object of this invention is in the provision of a com bination buccal tube molar pad and hook capable of reducing the number of parts for a buccal tube assembly and reducing the cost of such an assembly, thereby providing a more efficient and desirable buccal tube and hook assembly for molar teeth.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination buccal tube molar pad and hook according to the invention as attached to a molar band, and having a round buccal tube secured thereto;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. I, but illustrating the attachment of a flat oval buccal tube to the combination molar pad and hook of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the use of a rectangular in cross section buccal tube.

The combination buccal tube molar pad and hook is generally designated as 10, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is mounted on a molar band 11, and has secured thereto a round or cylindrical buccal tube 12. It should be recognized that a round, flat oval, or rectangular in cross section buccal tube may be attached to the combination molar pad and hook of the invention. A flat oval tube 13 is illustrated as being attached thereto in FIG. 4, while a rectangular in cross section tube is shown in FIG. 5. It should further be appreciated that a square or rectangular in cross section, or otherwise cross sectionally shaped buccal tube may be used with the combination molar pad and hook of the invention. Slight changes in dimensions of the combination molar pad and hook may be made in order to more precisely accommodate a round or flat oval buccal tube.

The molar pad and hook 10 includes an attaching or welding flange I4, a buccal tube mounting plate 15 and a hook 16. The attaching flange 14 is generally in the form of a rectangularly shaped flat plate but it may be arcuately shaped slightly to conform to the possible arcuate surface of the molar band. The attaching flange 14 may be either soldered or welded to the molar band 11. It should be appreciated that the weld flange 14 is left open for facilitating a spot welding operation.

The buccal tube mounting plate 15 includes a lingual-buccally extending portion 17 and an occlusal-gingivally extending portion 18. The lingual-buccally extending portion 17 extends buccally of the attaching plate I4 and buccally of the molar band as seen particularly in FIG. 3. The occlusal-gingivally extending portion 18 extends gingivally of the lingualbuccally extending portion and substantially parallel to the attachment flange l4, and thereby substantially parallel to the molar band 11. The lingual-buccal dimension of the portion I7 is such as to allow the buccal tube to be secured to the mounting plate and between it and the molar band 11, whether the buccal tube be round or flat oval. The occlusalgingival dimension of the portion 18 is such as to allow a good attaching surface for the buccal tube, and it may take a dimension substantially equal to the occlusal-gingival dimension of the buccal tube itself. The buccal tube therefore is mounted on the mounting plate 15 at the side away from the cheeks whereby the mounting plate shields the tube against forces which might tend to knock it loose. The tube may be attached to the mounting plate by soldering or any other suitable method.

The hook 16 for an elastic extends gingivally of the mounting plate 15, and includes an elongated mesial-distally extending arm I9 spaced from the mounting plate portion 18 and connected thereto by connecting portion 20 at the mesial end, and thereby defining a slot 21 having a bottom 22 against which the elastic bears. Accordingly, the bottom 22 constitutes the point of the force of the elastic as being applied to the buccal tube assembly on the molar tooth, and this point may be placed anywhere along the buccal tube as determined when attaching the buccal tube to the mounting plate 15, and as shown particularly in FIG. 2, the point is substantially central of the buccal tube thereby placing the pull or force substantially centrally of the buccal tube and depending upon placement of the molar pad on a band at the corresponding point on the tooth;

The hook assembly 19 is bent slightly buccally, so that it will miss the gum when the molar band and buccal tube assembly is being mounted onto the tooth, thereby eliminating the possibility of cutting the gum. ln this respect, it can be appreciated that the hook arm 19 does not extend buccally to any extent from the mounting plate, thereby reducing the susceptibility of hitting the combination molar pad and knocking it loose from the band, and also reducing the possibility that the hook will irritate the cheek. That the hook may be centrally located relative the tube, tipping problems on the molar heretofore encountered have been eliminated. Moreover, an elastic on the hook does not rub against the arch wire.

It should be appreciated that the mounting plate could be reversed in arrangement relative to the attaching flange and hook, whereby the occlusal-gingivally extending portion would extend from the attaching flange, the lingual-buccally extending portion would extend from the occlusal-gingivally extending portion, and the hook would extend from the lingual-buccally extending portion. In this arrangement, the buccal tube is mounted buccally of the pad and in further spaced relation from the molar band. The arrangement shown in the drawing is such that the buccal tube can be located closer to the band.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

This invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A combination buccal tube molar pad and hook adapted to have a buccal tube attached thereto and to be mounted on a molar band, said molar pad and hook comprising a welding flange, a buccal tube mounting plate, and a hook, all integrally formed with the welding flange being occlusally located, the hook being gingivally located and the buccal tube mounting plate being between the flange and hook, said buccal tube mounting plate including a buccally extending lingual-buccal portion and a gingivally extending occlusal-gingival portion, and said hook extending gingival of the buccal tube mounting plate and buccally thereof, wherein the buccal tube is adapted to be mounted on the lingual side of the mounting plate.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the lingual-buccal portion of the buccal tube mounting plate extends from the gingival end of the welding flange, and the hook extends from the occlusal-gingival portion of the mounting plate.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the hook opens distally.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1, and a buccal tube attached to the buccal tube mounting plate.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the buccal tube is round in cross section.

6. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the buccal tube is flat oval in cross section.

7. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the buccal tube is rectangular in cross section.

8. The combination as defined in claim 2, further including a tooth band to which the molar pad and hook are attached by welding the welding flange to the band, and a buccal tube attached to the buccal tube mounting plate and being arranged between the band and the mounting plate. 

1. A combination buccal tube molar pad and hook adapted to have a buccal tube attached thereto and to be mounted on a molar band, said molar pad and hook comprising a welding flange, a buccal tube mounting plate, and a hook, all integrally formed with the welding flange being occlusally located, the hook being gingivally located and the buccal tube mounting plate being between the flange and hook, said buccal tube mounting plate including a buccally extending lingual-buccal portion and a gingivally extending occlusal-gingival portion, and said hook extending gingival of the buccal tube mounting plate and buccally thereof, wherein the buccal tube is adapted to be mounted on the lingual side of the mounting plate.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the lingual-buccal portion of the buccal tube mounting plate extends from the gingival end of the welding flange, and the hook extends from the occlusal-gingival portion Of the mounting plate.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the hook opens distally.
 4. The combination as defined in claim 1, and a buccal tube attached to the buccal tube mounting plate.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the buccal tube is round in cross section.
 6. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the buccal tube is flat oval in cross section.
 7. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein the buccal tube is rectangular in cross section.
 8. The combination as defined in claim 2, further including a tooth band to which the molar pad and hook are attached by welding the welding flange to the band, and a buccal tube attached to the buccal tube mounting plate and being arranged between the band and the mounting plate. 